Field



W. BUTTERFIELD.

improvament in Mock-Button and Button-Hole for the Q Ornamentation of Boots and Shoes.

No.129,785. Patentedluly23,1872.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BUTTERFIELD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN MOCK-BUTTONS AND BUTTON-HOLES FOR THE ORNAMENTATION 0F BOOTS AND SHOES. r

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,785, dated July 23, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BUTTER- FIELD, of Boston, in-the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Mock Button and Button Hole for Leather Work; and I do hereby declare, that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates particularly to the formation of mock-buttons and button-hole stitches upon boot and shoe uppers, the improvement being applicable, however, to other leather work than such uppers. My invention consists in forming, by suitable hot dies, raised button-like protuberances, with parallel rows of imitation stitches extending from each button and an embossed line between said stitches, thus making a series or row of mock-buttons and button-holes.

The drawing represents a portion of a bootupper embodying the invention.

a a, 850., denote the but-tons; b b, the buttonhole stitches; c, the line between the stitches; d, the edge of the flap; e, the line of stitches at the inner edge of the flap. Each button a is a hemispherical or an approximately hemispherical projection from the surface f of the upper, formed by a suitable die, the under side of the button being a hollow or recess. Two

rows of imitation stitches, b b, extend from each button, with a center-raised line between them, said stitches being embossed by a suitable tool.

vThe edged and the stitches e are also embossed, and the whole forms a neat and perfect mutation, which may be used with boots having elastic gores, (instead of buttons,) the imitation-buttons and button-holes presenting surfaces more perfect than those shown by real buttons and button-holes, and impartin g a permanent finish similar to the finish furnished by real buttons and button-holes when they are new.

Very large classes of shoes are made with gores of elastic material, and are then, at considerable expense, stitched to resemble buttonholes, and then a corresponding number of buttons are also stitched thereto; all which requires considerable time and money, with the disadvantage that the buttons are always liable to get loose and fall off, and so deface the shoe. All this expense and the labor and perhaps the purchase or use of a sewing-machine are avoided, while the whole eifect of the stitching and buttons can be produced by my invention at a cost not probably exceeding the cost of a single'button, aside from the time and cost of sewing it on.

I claim The improved boot and shoe uppers or other leather work having a series of mock-buttons formed as described, each button being provided with the embossed stitches, as shown and described.

WILLIAM BUTTERFIELD.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GOULD, S. B. KIDDER. 

